Biology|Physiology
“There Is No Free Lunch,” the Muscle Told the Lungs
Learning why we feel breathless even after stopping the exercise
The moment I dropped the barbell, having deadlifted my mood from rock bottom, I struggled to accommodate more and more air.
My chest swelled and dropped in a seemingly eternal trance while my heart banged against the bosom, punching it with vicious fury.
My head shed some weight as I felt my lights knocked out. I grabbed the end of my bed before getting consumed by the black-out altogether, and quickly took a seat, thus, narrowly avoiding the fall.
It took quite some time before I could gather my senses together. The breathing rate normalized and my heart reverted back to its silent pace. I grabbed my bottle and gulped down the water. Let out a sigh and felt alive.
During exercise, our body’s oxygen demand shoots through the roof. This explains the heightened heart rate and the nitro-boosted respiratory rate. The normal levels just don’t suffice.
But why do we keep on catching our breath for a while, even after the exercise/exertion is stopped? What does it imply?
Welcome to the topic of oxygen deficit and oxygen debt.
